Three Cotyledon Jack The Ripper Twin

[MightyMightyMezz]

One of my Jack the Ripper seeds displayed the known trait of having two embryos in one seed and I managed to successfully transplant the smaller one to a different pot. It has three cotyledons! Its' twin has two like a normal plant.

 

[MightyMightyMezz]

Well, every other seed germinated for a total of eleven out of ten.

[THC-Farmer]

That's called a Trifoliate or more scientifically, Trifoliated Phyllotaxy. Trifoliates are a genetic anomole that is not really understood yet. There's nothing particularly special about a trifoliate other than the 3 leaf stemming. Some have been known to turn hermaphrodite VERY easily however...

 

It may also sprout off 3 single bladed leaves. The plant may even continue the genetic trait and continue to produce 3 sets of leaves off the main stalk throughout the entire growth cycle.

[MightyMightyMezz]

That's called a Trifoliate or more scientifically, Trifoliated Phyllotaxy. Trifoliates are a genetic anomole that is not really understood yet. There's nothing particularly special about a trifoliate other than the 3 leaf stemming. Some have been known to turn hermaphrodite VERY easily however...

 

It may also sprout off 3 single bladed leaves. The plant may even continue the genetic trait and continue to produce 3 sets of leaves off the main stalk throughout the entire growth cycle.

 

Interesting that it would appear in a twin embryo. Could it be a sign of polyploidy?

[THC-Farmer]

Oh I wouldn't know where to begin as far as what causes it. No one is really sure. Goodluck researching it too...

 

Not so sure about it being linked to polyploidy, however. Generally speaking polyploidy is linked to different kinds of morphologies and plant "deformations". Usually you'll get things like, abnormally large plant structure with deformed leaves or stems... Is it possible polyploidy has some role in altering the plants phyllotaxi? Well, yes considering having extra genetic material could have a million different outcomes. But in my opinion it's unlikely because the type of genetic material polyploidy refers to (two paired chromosomes) isn't really involved in phyllotaxis developemnt... At least not from my understanding of it... The pattern of leaves on a plant is controlled by the plant hormone, "auxin". But I'm no scientist so who knows...

 

We may never know!

[first mate]

I think it's basically what happens when you find 4 leaf clover..its a fluke in the genes

[MightyMightyMezz]

It is displaying trifoliated phyllotaxty with the first true leaves. Here it is next to its' twin.

 

I suggest the two unusual occurrences, twinning and trifoliation are related. My hypothesis is that the twins are identical twins and that they were trying to be triplets. The embryo successfully split into two and was on its' way to splitting again when the splitting embryo stopped splitting. Like so-called Siamese twins, it is a pair of identical twin that failed to fully separate.

 

[MightyMightyMezz]

After two sets of leaves it is now displaying the normal opposite phyllotaxy, but one of the leaves is a freaky nine-fingered one.

 

Can someone move this thread into Strains - Seeds - Clones, by the way? Thanks.